The Basel Convention and the Basel Action Network

By Adam Gardiner

The Basel Convention is an international treaty that was created with the objective of reducing the movements of hazardous wastes between nations, and to ensure that such wastes are managed in an environmentally sustainable manner. 

epa06148221 Plastic waste seen at the ALBA Group recycling plant in Berlin, Germany, 15 August 2017 (issued 17 August 2017). Some 140.000 tons of plastic waste per year are processed at the plant of the ALBA Group in Berlin. According to a European Union report, one third of all plastic waste in EU is sent to a landfill instead of it being recycled. According to a EU estimate, millions of tons of plastic waste end up in the oceans, much of it breaking into small particles called microplastic, harming all sea life. The EU has activated the 'Circular Economy Action Package', adopted in December 2015, making plastics a priority. While plastic waste already needs to be collected separately, the 'Package' proposes raising the recycling target for plastic packaging to 55 per cent, and reducing landfilling to no more than 10 per cent by 2030. A EU environment paper says the European Commission is preparing a new dedicated plastics strategy aimed at helping Europe improve recycling, cut marine litter, and remove potentially dangerous chemicals. EPA/CLEMENS BILAN

It became effective on 5 May 1992.

It was extended in 2019 to include plastic waste. The convention prescribes strict rules controlling the transnational movement of hazardous wastes, and requires that all parties to the convention take measures to prevent the dumping of these wastes in developing countries. The convention also requires that all parties take measures to promote the environmentally sustainable management of hazardous wastes within their own borders. The Basel convention has resulted in some positive impacts, especially reducing the transnational movement of hazardous wastes, and promoting their environmentally sustainable management.  

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The Basel Action Network (BAN)

was named after the Basel Convention and is a global network of organizations working to promote environmental sustainability. The goals of the Basel Action Network are to reduce the environmental impact of waste, to promote the environmentally sustainable management of waste, and to raise awareness of its environmental impacts. The Basel Action Network is helping nations advance towards environmental sustainability by reducing the environmental impacts of waste, promoting the environmentally sustainable management of waste, and spreading awareness of the environmental impacts of waste. They use various methods to achieve their goals, including covert investigations BAN attached GPS tracking devices to items such as old monitors in recycling centres throughout Europe. In this way they were able to trace the routes and confirm the final destinations of the items. Some of these investigations showed that many European nations including UK are breaching the Basel convention by illegally exporting e-waste to countries outside of the EU.

References  

Governments agree landmark decisions to protect people and planet from hazardous chemicals and waste, including plastic waste. UN Environment. (n.d.). Retrieved August  

1, 2022, from https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/governments-agree-landmark-decisions-protect-people-and-planet  

Basel Action Network (BAN). (n.d.). Basel Action Network. Retrieved August 1, 2022, from https://www.ban.org/  

Technology, I. E. (2019, March 28). How much E-waste does the UK export? Envirotech Online. Retrieved August 1, 2022, from https://www.envirotech-online.com/news/environmental-laboratory/7/breaking-news/how-much-e-waste-does-the-uk-export/48597  

Photo : https://www.ban.org/